Mechanical refrigeration



Oct. 23, 1928. I 1,688,895

c. c. SPREEN MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION Filed Jan. 29 1927 CHARLES C. SPREEN INVENTOR ATTORNEY!)- Patented Get. 23, 1928.

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CHARLES C. SPBEEN, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KELVINATOB CORPORA- TION, 013 DETROIT, MICEIGQN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

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Application filed January 29, 1927. Serial No. 164,429.

My invention relates to mechanical refrig eration, and particularly to a refrigerant expander unit adapted to be inserted in a refrigerator cabinet of the domestic type, and the principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improved unit of this type.

In the drawings accompanying this speci- Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of I Figure 2.

'The embodiment of my invention'herein shown is applied to a refrigerator cabinet 11 having a refrigerating compartment 12 in which is supported by means of bars '13, attached to the side walls of the compartment 12 by screws 14, my improved refrigerant expander unit 15 carrying an inlet valve 16 and a connection 17 for the pipe leading to the compressor of the system, not shown, and comprising a U-shaped container 18 consisting of two cupped sheet metal plates 19 and 20 having flanges 21 and 22 about their peripheral edges adapted to overlie and contact with rach other when the plates are arranged with their edges in abutting relation. The flanges 21 and 22 may be secured together in any suitable manner which forms a leak proof joint as by brazing, soldering, or weld ing. The plates 19 and 20 are also provided with inwardly extending dimples 23 of such depth that when the sections are assembled the dimples of the o'ppositelydisposed plates contact with each other and may be secured together in any suitable manner, as by spot welding, thereby providing reinforcing means for the container. The recess 24 between the legs of the U-shaped container 18 is formed and proportioned to be utilized to support trays 25 for freezing ice underthe refrigerating action of the refrigerant expander unit.

From the above disclosure it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that I have pro- .vided a new and improved refrigerant expanderunit adapted to be inserted in a refrigerator cabinet of the domestic type.

At the same time it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and it therefore will be understood that the disclosure herein is illustrative only, and that my inventionis not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical refrigerating system, a U-shaped refrigerant expander unit including a container for refrigerant comprising two sheet metal plates joined at their peripheral edges and affording a chamber therebetween, to thus form said container, the legs of said U-shaped expander being spaced to receive an ice tray therebetw'een supported on the top surface of the lower leg of said expander when said legs extend horizontally one above the other.

2. In a mechanical refrigerating system, a refrigerant expander unit including two sheet metal plates joined at their peripheral edges and bent to for1n';a container of substantially U-shape, the legs of said container beingbspaced to form a tray receivingrec'ess there etween, and spacing means intermediate the peripheral edges of said plates within said container.

3. In a mechanical refrigerating system, a refrigerant expander unit including two sheet metal plates joined at their peripheral edges and bent to form a container of substantially U-shape, the legs of said container being spaced to form a tray receiving recess therebetween, and spacing means for said plates intermediate the peripheries thereof, said spacing means being formed integrally with said plates.

4. In a mechanical refrigerating system, a refrigerant expander unit including two sheet metal plates joined at their peripheral edges and bent to form a container of substantially U-shape, the legs of said container being spaced to form a tray receiving recess the-rebetween, spacing means intermediate the peripheral edges of said plates within said container, andmeans associated with said container for connection with a refrig erant circuit.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES C. SPREEN. 

